| Cover:
6 Metal Healths out of 10
Kevin DuBrow faces his past -- literally. The cover art is a picture
of Kevin's head, but half his face is ripped away to reveal -- surprise!
-- the metal face mask that so dominated Quiet Riot's discography from
1983 onward. Looks metal enough, but you'd think Kevin would be able
to put that mask behind him. And don't take that statement literally
either. I sure the fuck don't want to see that mask hanging off of Kevin's
ass!
Booklet:
10 Condition Criticals out of 10
The back of this little (4 page) booklet has a nice picture of Kevin
squatting in the dirt. The inside pages are also full color, including
some live pics of Kevin and his band screened back behind the text.
There's a track listing, various credits, and the obligatory 'thank
you' list. All kinds of people get props, including former QR members
Frankie Banali and Carlos Cavazo. No mention of Rudy Sarzo though. Hmmm.
Oh yeah, Mr. DuBrow remembered to thank METAL SLUDGE, in all capital
letters, within his 'special thanks' section. Kevin's been around the
block enough times to know how the game is played. He doesn't fuck around,
and neither do we, which is why this booklet gets a perfect score.
Songs: 7
Guilty Pleasures out of 10
Normally I'm a bit wary of complete cover albums, but this one really
isn't bad at all. Mr. DuBrow pays homage to his hard rock heroes from
the 1970s, including bands like The Sweet, T Rex, Mott the Hoople, Queen,
Humble Pie, and Montrose. What impressed me the most was the fact that
Kevin doesn't really do the same songs by those bands that everybody
and their brother has covered to death. Case in point: most bands that
cover a Deep Purple tune do "Smoke on the Water" or "Hush;"
here, Kevin DuBrow does "Speed King." And how many bands have
covered Nazareth's "Hair of the Dog?" Way too fucking many
to mention. That's why Kevin does "Razamanaz." When's the
last time you heard someone cover that one? Kev's version is killer
too -- he's pushing his vocal range to the absolute limits, but he pulls
it off with flying colors. Probably the best cover song on here is "Stay
With Me," first made famous by The Faces way back when. Kevin's
rendition is dead-on Rod Stewart, and that's no easy task, as even the
most accomplished vocalists can tell you. Of note are the players on
this CD, which include former Great White keyboardist Michael Lardie,
Badlands drummer (and Racer X singer!) Jeff Martin, and relative unknowns
Gunter Nezhoda (bass) and guitarist Kevin Curry. The guitarist is especially
gifted, playing with abilities not unlike some of hard rock's greatest
axemen. So again, while I'm not always cracked up about cover albums,
this one, for what it is, is pretty damn good.
Comments: Kevin DuBrow is
a man who really needs no introduction. He's toured around the world,
eaten caviar off of his own platinum records, played with some of the
top rock musicians in history, miraculously cured his own receding hairline,
and even gotten a dual handjob from Donna Anderson and Lita Love backstage
while on the Rock Never Stops tour in '98. Well, we can't confirm that
last bit, but we're not going to deny it either. Irregardless, he's
also been a longtime Sludgeaholic, having done 20
Questions, a Rewind, and a 3-Wind
with us, so you know he's down. But most importantly, "I Can't
Resist You," a song he recorded as 'Kevin DuBrow and Little Women'
back in 1990, appears on our very own Hey,
That's What I Call Sludge Vol. 1 CD. So if you've been in solitary
confinement for the last 21 years or so and have never heard a song
sung by Kevin DuBrow, then why not start your exploration by checking
out our CD, which you can buy right
here. If you like it, then you know you'll want to run right out
and get yourself a copy of In For The Kill. But be sure to
buy our CD
first.
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